Rail Buffer Override Protection with Telescopic Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for protecting rail vehicles from buffer overriding are heavy, have unsuitable designs, and can cause damage due to edges, leading to increased effort and risk of damage during collisions, and are not suitable for practical rail operations.
Innovation Solution
A buffer overriding protection system with a base plate angled or beveled above the crash buffer, featuring a fixed and movable side, where the movable side is wider and includes displaceable parts like a bumper lip, cover, and ribs, and guide devices to prevent damage during collisions, and is designed to match the standard hole pattern of buffers for easy attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If half-shells with fixed edges are used to protect against buffer overriding, then weight is reduced, but the fixed edges can penetrate into the other rail car causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The protection device is divided into multiple segments: a base plate segment, a side shell segment, and a cover segment. These segments are connected in a telescopic manner, allowing the structure to deform and absorb impact energy without fixed edges penetrating the opposing vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection device transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one with telescopic segments that can move relative to each other during impact. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to adapt to collision forces, absorbing energy through controlled deformation rather than rigid resistance.
2Reliability
If conventional buffers are used for low speed impacts, then they work effectively at speeds up to 12 km/h, but they cause damage to the undercarriage at higher impact speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer system is segmented into the conventional buffer for low-speed operation and the overriding protection device with telescopic segments for high-speed collision protection. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its optimal performance range.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic segments are pre-positioned to provide cushioning protection before high-speed impact occurs. During collision, these segments deform in a controlled manner to absorb excess kinetic energy, preventing damage to the undercarriage that would otherwise occur at speeds exceeding 12 km/h.
3Reliability
If the lower half-shell is added to protect against overriding, then buffer protection is improved, but there are problems in going under the buffer safely for coupling railway carriages
Solution Approach 1:
The lower protection element is designed as a telescopic segment that can dynamically adjust its position. During normal operations, it remains retracted to allow safe access for coupling. During overriding events, it extends to provide the necessary protection.
4Length of moving object
If ribs with edges are used to limit buffer stroke, then buffer stroke is controlled, but the edges can cause damage in the event of collision and buffer overriding
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer stroke limiting function is transferred from rigid ribs with edges to a segmented telescopic structure. The segments connect through telescopic joints that provide stroke limitation without creating damaging edges, as the connection points are distributed and flexible rather than concentrated sharp edges.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an over-buffering protection device (12) for a crash buffer (14), arranged between a chassis (13) for a railcar and the crash buffer (14), consisting of a base plate (1.1) on the front face of the chassis (13) of the railcar, wherein the base plate (1.1) has an angled area 1.2 above the crash buffer (14) to which two different sides of the over-buffering protection device (12, 12.1, 12.2) are attached in the direction of travel, wherein one side of the over-buffering protection device (12.1) is fixed and the other side of the over-buffering protection device (12.2) is movable in the direction of travel. The solution according to the invention has the advantage that the over-buffering orThe invention prevents railway cars from rising by means of an over-buffering protection device that, despite its simple design and low weight, exhibits high strength, whereby in the event of a collision the risk of damage to the railway cars and their over-buffering protection is low. Furthermore, the solution according to the invention is also suitable for the case where two over-buffering protection devices collide on the same plane without causing damage (Fig. 13).